Brussels Airport anticipates a significantly busier day on Friday as airlines make up for the flight disruptions on Thursday.
Many passengers who were unable to travel on Thursday due to the national strike have been rebooked onto flights on Friday. "We expect around 74,000 passengers on Friday, approximately 10,000 more than originally planned," said spokesperson Jeffrey Franssens.
Besides rebooking passengers onto available flights, there will also be extra flights on Friday. "Based on our current information, there will be 483 flights (departures and arrivals) on Friday, including 29 additional flights due to Thursday's action," Franssens added. Brussels Airport advises passengers to arrive at the airport well in advance.
Air traffic to and from Belgium will be heavily disrupted on Thursday due to the national demonstration in Brussels. As air traffic control staff at Skeyes are joining the strike, no planes will be able to land or take off from Belgian airports from 06:45 to 22:15.
Brussels Airport had already cancelled all outgoing flights on Thursday due to a lack of baggage handlers and security staff.
At Brussels Airlines, one of the largest airlines at Zaventem airport, passengers originally booked for Thursday have been rebooked to Friday, according to spokesperson Nico Cardone.
Some passengers are flying today (Wednesday), while others are reaching their destinations without passing through Brussels, for instance by using flights from other Lufthansa Group airlines.
One charter flight to Finland has been redirected to Lille (France). On Friday, there will also be one extra flight to Gran Canaria (Spain). TUI fly is diverting several flights to foreign airports on Thursday.
